Social Sustainability

Social Sustainability

Another dimension to sustainability is social sustainability, which places emphasis
on the people and the communities in which they live.

Consider the following definition:

“Social sustainability occurs when the formal and informal processes, systems, structures,
relationships actively support the capacity of current and future generations to create
healthy and livable communities . . . Socially sustainable communities are equitable,
diverse, connected and democratic and provide a good quality of life” (Hodgson 2008).

The University of West Georgia’s strategic plan makes a commitment to lead “in the
field of environmental and social sustainability”.

One aspect of social responsibility mentioned in the strategic plan is creating a
campus that is “emotionally and physically safe”. Yet there is much more entailed
in the broader UWG core values of caring, inclusiveness, and wisdom that can be applied
to social sustainability. The Center for Sustainability hopes to support and advertise
social sustainability initiatives – check for events on the homepage. Yet, it must
also be understood that there are a host of resources and departments that have significant
overlap with the aims of social sustainability. First and foremost check out UWG's
Center for Diversity and Inclusion.